Stake pocket construction



Jan. 13, 1959 R. M. SHAVER 2,868,140

STAKE POCKET CONSTRUCTION Filed June 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Shee t 1 +4 Z4 .Z8 pf" I 1 Jizvezja'rr ja ymozzdfi az/en Jan. 13, 1959 R. M. SHAVER STAKE POCKET CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15,

IIIIIIflIIII/l 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII STAKE POCKET CONSTRUCTION C Raymond M. Shaver, Michigan City, Ind., assiguor t Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company, Chlcago, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Application June 15, 1955, Serial No. 515,697

2 Claims. (Cl. 105-390) This invention relates to stake pockets such as employed on railway flat cars and the like and to a method of assembling the structure forming the pockets.

The principal objectof the invention is to provide a simple yet highly effective stake pocket which may be I support and stake pocket means applicable to flat cars and like vehicles.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved stake pocket providing a strong support for the outer edge of the flooring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of assembling the elements forming the stake pockets whereby greater production efiiciency and an improved and economical structure are achieved.

These and other objects will become more apparent by referring to the following description of the invention and the accompanying illustrations, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a railway flat car embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the car shown in Fig. 1 including two stake pockets;

Fig; 3 is an enlarged partial transverse sectional view of the car taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l and illustrating the underframe structure;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of a stake pocket unit taken on the line 4'4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of a portion of a United States Patent 0 railway flat car depicting a modified construction of the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 through 4,' a railway flat car 10 is depicted with an underframe having a center sill structure 11 comprised of two longitudinally extending, parallel I-beam members 12 joined at' the top and bottom by a tie plate 13 and braces 14 respectively. A channel-shaped cross tie 15 extends transversely from each side of the center sill to the adjacent side sill 16, and Z-type stringers 17 extending longitudinally of the car are disposed on the cross tie 15 and other cross members to support the floor 18, the floor being comprised of a series of transversely extending boards 19 which may be secured to the side sill by bolts, clips, or other suitable means. I These boards may be of wood, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, or other substantially equivalent material may be used as suggested by the cross hatching in the other figures.

.The side sill 16 is in the form of a built-up assembly which includes a vertically disposed fish belly Web plate 20 extending substantially the entire length of the car and upper and lower side sill elements 21 and 22 respec- Patented Jan. 13, 1959 tively, shown here in the form of angle members, secured to the inner face of the web plate 20 adjacent its edges as by welding, with one flange extending horizontally. A plurality of combined floor support and stake pocket members are secured to the outer face of the web plate 20 adjacent the top edge thereof, in longitudinally spaced relation therealong, to extend laterally outwardly therefrom. Each of these members which may conveniently be formed from a suitable plate comprisesa longitudinally extending horizontal support portion 23 on which the floor 18 laterally outward of the side sill 16 may rest to be supported thereby. The outer edge portion 24 of the horizontal support portion 23 extends upwardly to substantially the level of the upper surface of the floor 18 as a lip to protect the side edge 25 of the floor, and may be slightly spaced from the floor edge and inclined inwardly. The portion 23 has at each end a substantially vertically depending portion 26 which forms one side of a stake pocket, the other side of which is formed by the corresponding depending portion 26 at the adjacent end of another support and stake pocket member spaced longitudinally from the first a predetermined distance to determine the width of the pocket.

A substantially vertically disposed brace plate 27 ex successively spaced longitudinally at each side of the car,

together with the requisite number of brace plates 27, a

desired number of stake pockets 28 may be provided. The combined support and pocket members at the ends of the sill need have but one vertical depending portion 26. A portion of the floor 18 is cut away above each pocket to allow insertion of a stake thereinto; Suitable filler blocks or strips (not shown) are disposed between the upper side sill angle 21 and the floor at the cutaway portions to support the board or boards 19, or portions thereof, which do not extend over the support portions 23.

Each support and pocket member is secured to the side sill 16 as by welding of the inner edges of the support portion 23 and depending portions 26 thereto. The inner marginal portion 29 of the support portion 23 may be inclined downwardly to facilitate the welding and provide a stronger weld connection 30 to the side sill web 20 and avoid any possibility of interference with proper disposition of the floor boards 19. To provide for the inclination of the marginal portion 29, and allow ot a continuous weld from end to end thereof, each depending portion 26 is cut away or coped from a point outwardly of the line of bend in the support portion 23 to a point below the location of the inner welded edge, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

To rigidify and brace the support portions 23 particularly of the support and pocket members, generally triangular gussets 31 are disposed intermediate the stake pockets 28, each substantially vertical and perpendicular to the side sill web '20, and welded to the web and the lower surface of the adjacent support portion 23. To avoid any need for fitting of the upper edge of the gusset 31 to the inclined marginal portion 29 of the portion 23, and to provide clearancefor the weld connection 30, the upper inner corner of each gusset is cut away generally like the depending portions 26. By reason of the cutaway or'cope, the welds securing the gusset to the support portion 23 and web plate 20 may be continuous about the respective edges of the gusset. Suitable securing devices 32, such as bolts, fasten the floor 18 to the 3 support portions 23. A sealing compound 33 or the like is applied between the side edge 25 of the floor and the upstanding portions 24 of the support and pocket members to protect the floor against entry of moisture or harmful substances.

It is apparent that by means of the construction described, a series of strong and rigid stake pockets and lading band anchors, as well as a strong reinforcement and support for the outer edge portion of the floor, and means for protecting the edge of the floor, are provided.

In Figs. and 6, another embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The construction is substantially similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but in this instance a fish belly side sill 34 is shown comprising a vertically disposed web plate 35 the upper and lower edges of which are abutted by sill elements 36 and 37 respectively welded thereto. The elements 36 and 37 may take the form of angle members as shown, each with a vertical flange abutting the web plate edge and an inwardly directed horizontal flange. A floor support and stake pocket member 40 similar to that of Figs. 1 to 4, comprising a flat support portion 38 with portions 39 perpendicular thereto at its ends, is provided for securement to the outer face of the side sill. A plurality of the members 40 are secured to the vertical flange of the upper sill angle member 36, with the support portions 38 substantially flush with the horizontal flangethereof and the end portions 39 extending downwardly, each by a weld 41 extending along the outer face of the angle member 36 from the lower edge of one depending portion 39 to and along the support portion 38 and to the lower edge of the other portion 39. The depending portions 39 are preferably of no greater height than the vertical flange of the upper angle member 36. The members 40 are spaced longitudinally from each other, as described in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 4, and the brace plates 27 are welded to extend longitudinally between adjacent depending portions of adjacent spaced members 40, so that a stake pocket is defined by each plate 27 and the adjacent depending portions 39 to which it is welded, together with the vertical flange of the angle member 36. The laterally outer portion of the floor 18 extends over and is supported by the support portions 38, except for the cutaway portions over the stake pockets, and is secured to the portions 38 by bolts or other suitable means. The floor also rests on the horizontal flange of the angle member 36, and as in the previously described construction is bolted or otherwise secured thereto. The shortened or cutaway boards or board portions are supported by the element 36.

Intermediate the stake pockets, the members 40 are braced by vertical gussets 31a similar to the gussets 31 disposed at right angles to both the support portion 38 and the vertical flange of the angle member 36, and secured to both by welds 42. The upper inner corner of each gusset is coped as at 31b so as to clear the weld 41. The cope also permits the welds 42 to extend continuously about the edges of the gusset. The vertical dimension of the gusset edge welded to the vertical flange of the angle member 36 is less than that of the flange.

Previous constructions of stake pockets on side sills, in which the pocket-forming parts are welded to the side sill, require in their manufacture either that the large, heavy side sill be moved to such position that the pocket parts may be secured thereto by downhand welding, which is practically necessary, or that the advantages of downhand welding be abandoned in order to avoid the cumbersome and time-consuming manipulation of the sill. The

present invention provides an advantageous method by which downhand welding may be employed while handling of a long, heavy section such as aside sill is avoided.

This method comprises welding the members 40 to the upper sill element or angle member 36 while the latter is separate from the other parts of the side sill, the angle member being relatively light and easy to handle. For this step, the angle member 36 is disposed in a position, preferably horizontal, such that the several welds 41 may be made downhand, and the members 40 are thus welded to the outer face of the vertical flange. The gussets 31a may then be welded to the support portions 38 and the angle member flange, also by downhand welding. The angle member and the attached parts may then be turned about a longitudinal axis so that the brace plates 27 may conveniently be welded to the depending portions 39 of the members 40. Thereafter the angle member 36 with the stake pockets and floor supports completed thereon is welded to the web plate 35, and the lower sill element or angle member 37 is welded to the web plate; obviously, it is immaterial which angle member is first welded to the web plate 35, or whether both be welded thereto at the same time. An eflicient and economical method is provided for assembling a side sill with floor support and pocket-forming parts, which also may be employed in assembling with a sill other load-retaining elements than those specifically disclosed herein.

It will be apparent that the construction of Figs. 5 and 6 may, if desired, embody the protective structure for the side edge of the floor 18 and the depressed inner margin of the horizontal support portion, while the construction of Figs. 1 to 4 may employ the arrangement of the sup portportion flush with the horizontal flange of the upper sill angle member, and may have the parts so proportioned that the disclosed method may be used therewith as readily as with the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a vehicle having a side sill and a floor above and projecting outwardly beyond said side sill, floor support and stake pocket means comprising a plurality of aligned spaced combined support and pocket members secured to and extending outwardly of the side sill each including a substantially horizontal plate portion extending outwardly of the side sill at the level of the floor bottom supporting the outwardly projecting floor portion and a vertical plate portion integrally connected to each end of the horizontal plate portion, said vertical plate portions being formed by bending down the terminal portions of the horizontal plate portions and each having its inner edge welded to the side sill and being spaced from the vertical plate portion of the next adjacent combined support and pocket member and forming therewith the two transverse walls of a stake pocket, and a plate spaced outwardly from and parallel to the side sill connecting said two transverse walls by being welded thereto and cooperating with the portion of the side sill between said transverse walls to form the two longitudinal walls of said stake pocket, and said floor portion being apertured above said stake pocket to admit a stake.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the side sill comprises a plurality of vertically aligned sections having their opposed edges secured together and in which the vertical plate portions forming the transverse walls of the stake pocket are welded to the uppermost section of the side sill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,579,673 Tench et al Apr. 6, 1926 1,859,261 Mussey et al May 17, 1932 2,103,730 Lewis et al Dec. 28, 1937 2,295,751 Nystrom et al Sept. 15, 1942 2,686,480 Johansson Aug. 17, 1954 

